DRINKING WATER
Why Multi‑Commodity Utilities Need Smart Meter Data Management
Breaking down data silos allows multi-commodity utilities to improve operational efficiency and infrastructure visibility. By managing water and electric data on a shared platform, providers can detect leaks faster and support long-term conservation goals.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![450_300-cs_park_city]( "Mountain Resort City Reduces Water Loss By 10 Percent By Deploying Intelligent Leak Detection And Pressure Monitoring Solution")
Mountain Resort City Reduces Water Loss By 10 Percent By Deploying Intelligent Leak Detection And Pressure Monitoring SolutionPark City turned to Xylem to deploy their intelligent sensor hardware and monitoring solutions as part of a condition assessment program and to reduce non-revenue water.
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Silver Eagle Refinery Case Study North Salt Lake and West Bountiful are home to several large oil refineries. These large plants have several smoke stacks, open burning flares, and round storage tanks.
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GoAigua's Digital Twin Saves 1B+ Gallons Of Water/Year
Water transport and distribution systems in many cities have become complex to manage as they are forced to adjust to the problems of population growth, resource shortages, aging infrastructure and optimization of daily network operations. Consequently, digital twins of water networks are increasingly widely used for decision-making around their operation and management.
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Flow Data Red Flags: When To Act
Accurate flow measurement is critical to most water and wastewater processes. Red flags may pop up to indicate meter problems, but which ones should lead you to act — and when? The answer depends on the type of meter, what it is used for, and whether the readings are local or remote.
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![SWRO-facility]( "RO Membranes' Protection At SWRO Facility, Asia")
RO Membranes' Protection At SWRO Facility, AsiaAtlantium HOD UV systems provide effective RO membrane protection by combining ultraviolet water disinfection technology with hydraulic and optic principles.
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![KROHNE_image (002)]( "Evolution Of Pipeline Leak Detection")
Evolution Of Pipeline Leak DetectionAs the sheer number of pipelines crisscrossing the country continues to increase, there is an urgent need to ensure pipeline infrastructure safety. The age of many of the pipelines and the number of different products flowing makes this a challenging prospect. Now, new technology has been developed that meets the need for reliable protection that complies with regulatory requirements while eliminating false alarms.
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![Keeping UpWith AMI_iStock-661419638]( "A Pathway To Keeping Pace With AMI Technology")
A Pathway To Keeping Pace With AMI TechnologyThe rise of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has been a substantial benefit to municipalities. AMI goes beyond billing data to provide deep insights into water distribution systems and offers utility managers an important tool in delivering the highest quality drinking water. However, that advancement has also generated a significant obstacle. The good news is that a cost-effective and flexible solution is available.
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![nissan-stadium]( "AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe Performs In New Music City Stadium Project")
AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe Performs In New Music City Stadium ProjectWhat do the Indy Music City Grand Prix, Taylor Swift Eras Tours concerts, Country Music Awards Festival, and college and NFL football games have in common? These and other events were held at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, in the spring, summer and fall of 2023.
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![Digital technology-GettyImages-826921436]( "Benefits Of Utilities Analytics And Automation Software For Energy Savings And Efficiency")
Benefits Of Utilities Analytics And Automation Software For Energy Savings And EfficiencyDiscover how technology supports the demand for data and drives the right actions to optimize utilities usage and provide significant energy savings.
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![GettyImages-521051651]( "LCRI: A Shift To Mandatory Service Line Replacement Within 10 Years")
LCRI: A Shift To Mandatory Service Line Replacement Within 10 YearsMandatory LSL replacement is a fundamental shift from the LCR in its approach to service line replacement, moving from a trigger-based approach to a mandatory, system-wide replacement mandate.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Application Note: Turbidity Monitoring In Drinking Water Treatment Plants8/30/2005
Turbidity, or the relative clarity of a liquid (in this case drinking water), is caused by the presence of microscopic particles such as clay, silt, or other fine undissolved matter
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Application Note: Miami Conservancy District Uses Nitrate Screening As Conjunctive Management Tool1/20/2010Tasked with monitoring a watershed covering nearly 4,000 square miles, almost 2,300 miles of rivers and streams, and a huge aquifer that provides drinking water for more than 1.2 million people, water quality monitoring specialists at the Miami Conservancy District (MCD) in Dayton, Ohio, have their hands full. By YSI
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Deployment Of NextStep In Reverse Osmosis Systems1/15/2026
Pulsafeeder has secured a significant order for its NextStep series of stepper motor-driven metering pumps, specifically for use in advanced Reverse Osmosis (RO) applications. This deployment underscores the growing demand for precision chemical dosing in high-performance water treatment systems. The order includes NextStep NS1 and NS9 models, each selected for their unique capabilities in high-pressure and low-pressure RO environments.
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Reduce Or Eliminate Water Hammer With Valve Positioners5/19/2022
Water hammer, which can occur in just about any pumping system and even steam systems, can lead to pipe breakage, equipment damage or even total system failure. Addressing water hammer at the source is the savviest and most cost-effective way to handle the issue.
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LC-MS Analysis Of 33 PFAS Compounds In 5 Minutes11/4/2021
In response to environmental testing demands for faster LC-MS analyses, the new Ascentis® Express PFAS HPLC and delay columns allow the highly efficient separation of 33 PFAS compounds in 5 minutes with reduced background contamination.
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Analysis Of Pesticide Residue In Spinach Using The AutoMate-Q40 An Automated QuEChERS Solution10/16/2014
QuEChERS is a Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe extraction method that has been developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
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Removal Of PFCs With Activated Carbon12/30/2013
In recent years, various perflorinated chemicals (PFCs) have come under increasing scrutiny due to their presence in the environment, in animals, and in human blood samples. There are two major classes of PFCs: perfluoroalkyl sulfonates such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and long chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA).
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Preliminary Assessment Of Water Quality In Riviera Grise Near Port-Au-Prince, Haiti10/17/2012
The Riviera Grise drains water from the Cul-de-Sac watershed, Haiti, which covers most of the rural areas along the flood plains and areas that extend into steep hillsides. It also covers urban areas of Port-Au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti.
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Waste Technologies Transform Problems To Profit9/8/2015
Anaerobic digestion processes that radically improve the quality of wastewater while delivering green energy extracted from biological waste streams are emerging as a profitable way for agricultural and food processing industries cope with the twin impact of drought and pollution challenges.
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Application Note: YSI Water Quality Monitoring Buoys Help Connecticut DOT Protect The Housatonic River12/27/2005When replacement of the Sikorski Bridge spanning the Housatonic River was authorized, Paul Corrente and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT-DOT) set about the design and development of a water quality monitoring program to monitor the contractor’s in-water activities to insure full protection of the river from perturbation
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Introducing the NP6000sc, the latest evolution in Hach® Phosphate Analyzers. As the next evolution in nutrient monitoring, combining the trusted reliability of Phosphax with cutting-edge innovations to address your biggest challenges.
With precise dosing from reliable peristaltic pumps and high quality electrodes and photometers, the Seres titrimetric analyzers can solve a number of measurement problems. Click below for more details on specific models.
The AMI SAC254 is an online monitor for continuous measurements of UV-absorption (a surrogate parameter, which is correlated to various carbon-based parameters such as DOC and TOC) at a wavelength of 254nm.
The launch of the world’s first ready-to-use reagent packages for photometric analysis in the 1960’s had a substantial effect on water analysis. Today Hach® TNTplus® Vial Tests and photometers are indispensable elements of both process control and compliance monitoring.
Hydra-Stop is proud to introduce the Bevel Gear Actuator to our line of solutions for control, now available for purchase. Ideal for shallow bury applications, the Bevel Gear Actuator allows for the operation of horizontal Insta-Valve 250 installations on lines as shallow as 12-18 inches."
The Automatic Switchover system Series 1041 provides safe, reliable switching between two gas (pressure or vacuum) or two liquid (pressure or level) sources assuring an uninterrupted supply of chemical to the application. Automation of all functions (switchover, system initialization, configuration, lamp test, and safety functions) is done with an internal programmable logic controller for operational flexibility, enhanced reliability, and ease of use. If needed, local manual override is conveniently available for operator control to maintain continuous operation.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![pregnant_water-Getty-2207189112]( "Drinking Water Contaminated With 'Forever Chemicals' During Pregnancy Linked To An Increased Risk Of Childhood Asthma")
While most of us are routinely exposed to low levels of PFAS, some communities are exposed to far higher levels from nearby pollution sources. A new study shows that in one of these at-risk communities, children were more likely to develop asthma if their mothers were exposed to very high PFAS levels during pregnancy.
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![wastewater ecological damage-GettyImages-2231956262]( "The Pragmatic Shift In Source Water Protection: Moving From Symptom Management To Root-Cause Accountability")
A shift in how we approach source water protection is long overdue. Currently, we are trapped in a cycle of escalating costs, forced to treat symptoms like algae and invasive weeds expediently with chemicals while the underlying risk in the reservoir compounds. True risk management requires breaking this cycle. -
![River water pollution, Ecological-GettyImages-1215336784]( "The AWWA Said $2.4 Trillion. It Missed The Compound Interest.")
Einstein once said of compound interest, "He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." The same logic of compounding applies to the organic sediment accumulating on the floor of your drinking water reservoir. The longer you wait to address it, the more exponentially expensive it becomes to fix. -
![snowystream-Getty-521971897]( "Winter's Alarmingly Low Snowpack Offers A Glimpse Of The Changing Rhythm Of Water In The Western U.S.")
The April 1 snowpack measurement has long been the single most important number in western water management, considered a strong proxy for how much water the mountains are holding in reserve. But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient. -
![ColoradoRiverDam_Getty-1280300802]( "Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of Agreement")
Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of AgreementThe five most common sources of conflict between people are values, data, relationships, interests, and structure. The current Colorado River negotiations include all five. -
![Water droplets, PFAS, Forever chemical water contamination-GettyImages-2173433890]( "Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies")
Water agencies across the U.S. are facing a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that poses a conundrum: Should they take a cautious or aggressive approach to treating PFAS contamination in their water system?
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.